Door latch



Aug. l?, 1948. A. TRUNl-NGER ooR LATCH Filed oct. .16,11945 A' "mmm Patented Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 16, 1945, Serial No. 622,612

v In Switzerland October 28, 1944 My present invention relates to a door latch, and more particularly to a door latch of the type wherein two opposite handles are locked relative to each other and to the intermediate door.

It is an object of my invention to provide a door latch of this type which can be. used for doors of varying thickness. v

It is another object of my invention to provide a door latch in which the mounting is effected in a secure way and without employment of projecting parts; such as pins, which are apt to cause injury.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a door latch of thisr type which can be mounted on the door Without danger that fasteners, like pins, will force the handles yof the latch out of place or will otherwise cause damage or deformation to the handle portions.

Still another object of my invention consists in the provision of a door latch which can easily be secured to the door without the use of complicated tools other than an ordinary screwdriver and which can be removed for repairing -with similar ease.

With the above objects in view, my present invention mainly consists in a door latchwhich comprises in combination a roll back includingI ,two cooperating roll back members forming between themselves a passage having a substantially rectangular cross section, la, wedge-shaped serrated projection provided on each of the cooperating roll back members so as to project into the above mentioned passage, an adjusting screw engaging .the cooperating roll back members in such a manner as to move the same toward and from each other when turnedso as to adjust the size of the passage formed between the two cooperating roll back members, two door handles, two spindle members each secured to one of the door handles and forming together a split spindle having a substantially rectangular cross section so as to fit into the passage formed by the cooperating roll back members, the two spindle members being provided with serrated cut-out grooves into which the wedge-shaped serrated projections provided on the cooperating roll back members fit so that the serrations on the wedgeshaped projections provided on the ycooperating roll back members firmly engage the serrations on the cut-out grooves when the 'cooperating roll back members are moved toward each other by the adjusting screw. n

The novel features which I consider as characteristic for my invention are set forth in particular in the appended claim. The invention iciaim. (cl. 2oz-336.5)

' itself, however, both as to its construction and its method Iof operation, together with additional objects land advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of spe-y cifre embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

1, illustrating the latch fitted to a door;

Fig. 1 is a side view of the latch, partly in section rand with the side wall `partly removed, illustrating the latch in the locked position;

IFig. V2 is a vertical section on lines I-I of Fig.

lFig. 3 is a horizontal section on line lIfII vof Fig. 1 again showing the latch tted toria door;

and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View on an enlarged scale similar `to the view shown in Fig. 1, but

`site1y disposed apertured lower extensions 'I and 8L Extension :Bis provided with an internal thread. A screw 9 rests against the extension 'I with a shoulder I0 formed by its reduced forward end. The screw is adapted to freely turn in extension 'I and thread into extension 8.

The two roll back portions are furthermore provided with complementary recesses in their adjacent faces. The two recesses together form a substantially rectangular passage in which complementary spindle portions I3 and I4 may be placed. Spindle `'portion I3 is fixedly connected with the shank of a handle I5, and spindle portion I4 is similarly secured to a handle Iii.`

The two spindle portions have a triangular cross section and l'are adapted to abut lagainst each other with one of their sides. The abutting faces of the spindle portions thus form a diagonal connection of two opposite corners of a substantially rectangular configuration which conforms with the outline of the passage dened by the roll back portions. The corners of these diagonal faces are cut away so as to form grooves l1 and I8 into which wedge-formed projections Il and l2 of the roll back portions protrude. The sloping surfaces of the wedges II and I2 and likewise the falls of the grooves Il and I8 are finely serrated so as to provide interfitting ridges and indentations.

'Ihe handle portions I5 and I6 are provided and I8 and brings the serrations of the wedgeJV and groove walls into engagement. The spindle` portions I3 and I4 are thus locked against eaclfrl other and the handles secured to. them are fixedagainst longitudinal displacement.

In order to unlock the devicegtfisfonlyneeessf. sary to turn screw 9 reversely whichfwill'moveef roll back portions I and 2 away from eachother...

and will thus free wedgesd I and I2 from grooves I'I and I8 With its consequent disengagement of the" Vserrations' and'release' of' the spindle por-1v tions I3 and 'I4'.

To holdthe", rollfback'portions in association whenl unlockedportion 'I isprovided with a head* piece 25"' against" 'which' the correspondingly shaped front" endofl`an,zarm-26` bears; The arm' is ,brought -into" engagement by--a springA -21 which bears against.`its rear. end.l Roll', backi portion 2! l'ikewis'elhas a projecting nose'23y against'` which the spring,ZIIacts.) Thus; ithetwoportions. offthe roll back are prevented fromcon'ipletedisengagement.v`

Th operation ofthe device willnovrbe man1- fest.. The latchis. tted to the door with the roll back'portions I and2 in unl'cckedposition. In this condition, thehandle'sIS JandfIB Withtheir spindleportions. I3..Tand.l4' can be insertedv into the rectangular.. passage .and can be. adjustedv relatively to eachothr' until 'their ,shoulders I9 lieflushwith-'theretaining rin'gsZIL The screwA is then..tightened and the Ahandles are thus rmly, xedinposition without theuseof anytools ex-V cept-fansordinaryscrew. driver;4 Damage, tcrthe` handles .is .impossibleY since yit is not necessary j, to `-em1: 1o'y..ispeciallfasteners,like., pins orv keys. Ittwills also .benoted-thatI all .partsemployed in.. the/.locking action arehidden fromcview and not proj ecting: --elements= are .usedwhichnmay cause.. injurytofthe-handsw It will furthermorebefappreciatedfthatl-the fine serrationsof the .wedges and spindleportionspermit a rrn locking and alsoan extremely quick release for further adjustment.y Thus, thelhandles can easily be adapted,-to-therparticular size of the doorrthe adjust-i abilitybeing Within arrange of about 5/8?. Finally, .accidental disengagement isventirely impossible inview of. the locking action of the serrations.`

It will-be understood that each of the` elementsY described-above.. or two or more together, may also'rld. laiuseful' application Vinoth'eri typesv 'of locking devices, diiering from the types described above.

While I have illustrated and described the invention as embodied in door latches, I do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of my invention.

Without further? analysis,,-athe`f oregoing will soffful'lyfr-reveali the gist=f=o=f-\fmy invention that o-thers can by applying current knowledge readilyf adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of p rior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics'offtheegeneriefor specific aspects of this in ventionland,.therefore, such adaptations should andtaneeintended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the followiri'gelaim. Y

What I claim as new .fand desire to secure by Letters 'Eatent :isz:

In-za-adoor: latch inrcombinationr a roll back in cluding.twooooperating roll back-members form-`v` ing betweenfzthemselves a passage having a. suby stantiallyftgrectangularfxcross vsection; aV vwedgeshapedxserratedxprojection nprovided .on each of,v

said cooperating roll backmembersfsoasgto projectaint-'o SaidLtpa'SSage; .anzadjusting-screw engaging said L :cooperating:l roll'back;,members in such.:annali-ner,:asta move-the samevv toward. and from feachsother. whenr turned so asi to adjust' the size of said passage `formed betweenzsaidltwo co.

operatingrollback `members tWo' doo-r 1 handles two spincl-lefmembrseach' secured-toV one of'Y .isaiddoorhandles and forming together a split spindle"x havingma ubstantially'- rectangular cross section so as to' 't-into said* passage `formed by said comieratingf1 rollback-lmembers. said two spindl'epmembers-being "provided with serrated cut-'outsgrooves-into which lsaidl wedge-shaped serratedf projections-1provided lon said cooperatingroll iba-ck members-'fit'- so that thel serrations on-saidwe'dge-shaped projections provided on said cooperating roll back members rmly er1-A gage ,theserrations on'said' cut-out' grooves when sai'tljcooperatingroll back. members are moved toward.' eachother byjsaid.' 'adj usting screw.

ALFRED' TRUNINGERZ REFERENCESACITED The; Afollowing.y references are of record.v .in the fileAv ,of .tliispatentzA UNITED STATES lPATENTS Number Name Date 1,097,626; I-Iaizmann May ,26,u 1914` FOREIGN PATENTS.'`

Number.- Country Date 30,296" Switzerland.; Feb.' 15, 1904 219,667' Grernranyl Mar.'5, 1910 

